Folding chair or couch.



A. J. PREEDMAN.

FOLDING CHAIR OB. GOUGH.

APPLICATION FILED IARJI, 1912.

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COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPN CLL, WASHINGTON, D. C.

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Patented Nov. 12

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WIYETSS es A. J. FRBED MAN.

FOLDING OHAIB 0B COUCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 11, 1912. I

Patented Nov. 12,1912.

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COLUMBIA PLANonnAPl-l 60.,WA5fllNGTQN, D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ABE J'. FREEDMAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FOLDING CHAIR 0R COUCH.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ABE J. FREILDMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Folding Chairs or Couches, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to folding chairs or couches and contemplatesimproved features of construction and arrangement.

Among the important objects of the invention are to provide asubstantial chair or couch structure having removable seat and backstructures and having a vertical compartment behind such structures; toprovide a foldable bedstead structure adapted when folded to be withinsaid compartment and adapted to be unfolded to be partly over the seatstructure and partly in front of said structure to form a bed frame; toprovide improved and simplified means for locking the parts togetherwhen folded; and in general to provide more simple and efficientconstruction, arrangement and operation in a device of the characterreferred to.

In the accompanying drawings whichillustrate my invention, Figure 1 is aside elevational view of the device in folded condition, one of thesides being removed, Fig. 2, is a similar view showing the device inunfolded condition; Fig. 3, is a plan view showing the parts in unfoldedposition; Fig. 4, is a sectional view taken from plane 44, Fig. 2; Fig.5, is a perspective view showing the manner of pivoting the backstructure to the supporting frame; and Fig. 6, is a detail view showingthe arrangement of a handle bar structure.

The couch or chair has the side structures 10 and 11 having the verticalback parts 10 and 11 and the legs 12. These side structures may beconnected together by a suitable seat frame, in this case the box-likestructure 13, bolts 14 assisting in holding the side and seat structuresrigidly together. A seat cushion structure 15 rests along its front edgeon the front of the seat structure while its rear end hangs fromstandards 16 secured to the ends of the seat structure preferably by thebolts 14. Such suspension of the rear end of the seat cushion structureis preferably by means of pins 17 engaging in the slots 18 extendingdownwardly from the ends of standards 16, the pins extending from plates19 secured to the cushion structure ends substantially as shown.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 11, 1912.

Patented Nov. 12,1912.

Serial No. 683,158.

A back cushion structure 20 has plates 21 extending rearwardly from itsends near the top thereof and these plates have vertically extendingslots 22 for receiving pins 23, extending inwardly from the back parts10 and 11 of the side structures. The back cushion structure cantherefore swing forward and back, and has vertical play to the extent ofslots 22. A board 24 projecting rearwardly from the upper edge ofstructure 20 extends between the side structure back parts 10 and 11adjacent the top thereof. When the back cushion structure is in norrnalposition its lower edge rests adjacent the rear edge of the seat cushionstructure as shown in Fig. 1.

The structures 13, 15, 21, the board 24, and the rear parts 10 and 11'of the side structures form an inclosure for the bedstead structure 13when folded up. This structure comprises front and rear bars and sidebars, the side bars being jointed. Preferably front and rear U frames 25and 26, bent up of angle iron, are pivoted together by short links 27. Awire mattress support 28 is suspended from the frames by springs 29.Outer legs 30, also of angle iron, are pivoted adjacent the corners ofthe frame 25 and intermediate legs 31 are pivoted at the junctures ofthe frame 25 with the links 27. The rear end of the bedstead structureis pivoted to the ends of L shaped bars 32 whose other ends pivot on thestandards 16 just above the seat supporting structure 13. Figs. 2 and 3show the parts in open or unfolded positions. The outer end of thebedstead structure rests on legs 30 and 31 when extended at right anglestherewith and the rear end is suspended from bars 32 whose elbows reston the sides of the seat supporting structure 13, the bedstead framejust touching the seat structure 15. The back structure 20 rests againstthe bedstead structure in inclined position.

When the parts are to be folded together the outer frame section 25 isfirst swung upwardly and rearwardly into position on top of framesection 26 with the links 27 at substantially right angles with theframe sections. During such folding of frame parts 25 and 26 the outerlegs 30 will fall against the sides of outer frame part 25, and legs 31are then swung against legs 30. The relative positions of the parts 25,26, 30 and 31 will now be as shown in Fig. 1 except that these partswill be over the seat 15. To more securely lock these parts togetherbefore being swung into the position shown in Fig. 1, latches 33 arepivoted to the sides of bedstead part 26 and are latched about pins 3aextending from the ends of intermediate legs 31. The folded and lockedstructure is now swung up wardly and rearwardly about the pivots of bars32 and into vertical position in the compartment behind the seat andbetween the side parts 10 and 11, abutments 35 being provided on theseparts 10 and 11, as shown. The bars 32, being L shaped, readily clearthe rear edge of the seat supporting structure 13. Before the foldedstructure is swung back the back structure 20 is of course raised, andwhen the folded structure is in final position the back structure isdropped into vertical position to rest against the folded structure. Tounfold the structure the back structure is raised and the foldedstructure swung forwardly, the latches 33 are released and the parts 25and 26, and legs 30 and 31 unfolded. To enable the parts to be morereadily manipulated, front and intermediate handle bars 35 and 36 areprovided and extend respectively along the front of the part 25, andbetween the links 27 as shown in Figs. 1 and 6.

It is of course obvious that the structure can be of any width toaccommodate one or more persons. The bed clothes can be placed withinthe seat supporting structure 13 after the bedstead has been folded upand swung back, the seat frame 15 readily swinging up on its pivot pins17.

I thus provide a structure which when folded up has the appearance andutility of a chair or couch, and when unfolded forms a bed. I do notdesire to be limited to the precise structure and arrangement shown aschanges are of course possible which would still come within the scopeof my invention.

I claim the following:

1. In a folding chair or couch the combination with a structurecomprising a seat and a back, of bedstead frame having hinge connectionat its inner end with the seat adj acent its inner edge, said framebeing jointed at substantially its middle so that its outer section maybe folded against the top of the inner section and said inner sectiontogether with said outer section may be swung upwardly intosubstantially vertical position behind said seat, said back beingmovable to allow such swing of the sections to vertical position.

2. In a folding chair or couch, the combination of side walls, a seatstructure between said walls, a back structure pivoted at its uppercorners to said side walls, said back structure and the sections of theside walls to the rear of said structure forming a cornpartment, arectangular bedstead structure hinged along its middle and pivoted atits rear end to said seat structure, and legs pivoted to the outersection of said bedstead frame, said legs adapted to fold against saidouter section and said outer section folding against the inner sectionof said bedstead structure and the structure thus folded being adaptedto be swung upwardly and rear wardly about its pivot and intosubstantially vertical position in said compartment.

3. In a folding chair or couch, the combination of side walls, a seatframe extending between said walls, a back frame pivoted at its upperend to said side walls, said side walls and seat frame and back frameforming a compartment behind the seat frame and back frame, arectangular bed frame pivoted at its rear end to the seat frame andjointed at substantially its middle so that its front section may befolded against the top of the rear section, legs pivoted to the frontsection and adapted to be folded against said section, and latchespivoted on the rear section and adapted for latching engagement with thelegs on the front section to lock said front and rear sections and saidlegs in folded position, said folded parts being adaptable to be swungabout the rear pivots of the bed frame and into said compartment.

4:. In a folding chair or couch the combination of side walls and a seatframe, a back frame having plates extending therefrom and provided withvertically extending slots, pins extending from said side walls andthrough said slots whereby said back frame may have vertical play andswing forwardly and upwardly, said side walls and said seat frame andsaid back frame forming a compartment, and a jointed bed structurepivoted at its rear end adjacent the rear edge of said seat frame andadapted to be unfolded into position in front of said back frame and tobe folded up and swung rearwardly into said compartment behind the backframe.

5. I11 a folding chair or couch, the combination of side walls, a seatframe connecting between said side walls, a foldable bedframe formed oftwo U sections jointed together at their ends, the inner U section beingpivoted to said side walls, and legs pivoted to the outer U section,said legs being adapted to fold against said outer section and saidouter section being adapted to fold against the inner section and theentire folded structure adapted to be swung upwardly and rearwardly intosubstantially vertical position behind said seat frame.

6. In a folding chair or couch, the combi nation of side walls, a seatframe connecting between said side walls, a foldable bedframe formed oftwo U sections jointed together at their ends, the inner U section beingpivoted to said side walls, and legs pivoted to the outer U section,said legs being adapted to fold against said outer section, and saidouter section being adapted to fold against the inner section and theentire folded structure being adapted to be swung upwardly andrearwardly into substantially vertical position behind said seat frame,and latch mechanism for locking said U section and legs in foldedposition.

7 In a folding chair or couch, the combi nation of side walls, a seatsupporting frame extending between said side walls, a back frame pivotedto said side walls, standards adjacent said side walls, L shaped linkspivoted at one end to said standards, a rectangular bed frame pivoted atits rear end to the other ends of said links, said bed frame comprisingouter and inner sections hinged together, and legs pivoted to said outersection, said legs adapted to fold against said outer section and saidouter section adapted to fold against said inner section and the entirefolded structure adapted to swing with said links into substantiallyvertical position behind said back and seat frames.

8. In a folding chair or couch the combination of side walls, a seatframe extending between said walls, a seat pivoted at its rear to saidseat frame, a back frame pivoted at its top to said side walls andnormally resting with its lower edge against the rear edge of said seat,a rectangular bedframe pivoted at its rear end to said seat frame, saidbedframe comprising a front section and a rear section hinged togetherso that said front section may be folded against the top of said rearsection, legs pivoted to said front section to be adapted for foldingagainst said section, said front and rear bedframe sections and saidlegs when all folded together forming a compact structure, and latchespivoted to said inner structure and adapted to engage with pins on saidlegs to lock the sections and legs in folded condition, said foldedstructure adapted to swing upwardly and rearwardly into substantiallyvertical position behind said seat and back frames.

In witness whereof I have signed my name to the foregoing specificationin the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ABE J. FREEDMAN. Witnesses R. J. JAcKER, S. A. LANDES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

